I have constant tingling that seems to start from hip down both legs and also up in the abdomen and arms,neck, mouth and head. When I lie down, symptoms get worse while walking reduces symptoms. The tingling and associated pain gets worse in abdomen when I sit down.
I had MRI of brain, neck, thorax, and lumbar. All MRI were negative. My GP conducted all kinds of blood work including lyme, B12, ANA. All blood tests are normal. I was also treated for lyme in 1994 in spite of the lyme negative test. I had this problem of tingling in 1994 through 1996. It went into remission. These symptoms reappeared in September 2004. The symptoms are more severe now in spite of normal neurological examination by a neurologist.

Although I cannot make a diagnosis without seeing you, your symptoms are difficult to localize to one area of the nervous system

A generalized small fiber neuropathy (the small nerve fibers that sense pain and temperature) would be one possible cause. This condition can result in a normal neurological examination and MRI and requires specialized testing such as a superficial skin biopsy to look for nerve fiber density or other abnormalities (this is a relatively new test that is more sensitive than other tests to date). Early diabetes or an excess of amyloid protein are the most common causes. Other potential causes such as electrolyte abnormalities, side effects of medications or other forms of neuropathy would need to be excluded also as they seem to have done to a certain extent.

It would be unusual though to have a latent period from 1996 to 2004, I cannot explain this from a purely neurological perspective.

Another test which may give a clue to how serious these symptoms might be is called Quantitative Sensory Testing. These tests may not be available at your general neurologist, so a second opinion at a larger center might be a good idea.
Good luck

I am recently recovering from 9 months spent in bed due to severe back and neck pain that affected my entire body. I also experienced numbness and tingling in both arms, hands, legs, face, twitching, "electric" felings, etc. I could hardly get out of bed let alone work or function as a normal human being. And there was no injury or specific event to expalin this. MRI - normal X-ray - normal I went to Stanford, Knee and Sports Medicine, saw regualar chiropractors, neurologist, etc. NO ONE had any solutions nor explanations. One "specialist" told me it was just the way I was made and that there was nothing I could do. I was taking oxycontin just to get out of bed and was pretty desperate. I am 25 years old and the prospect of being crippled for the rest of my life was staggering. Finally the Lord and my faithful family practioner sent me to an old retired gentleman who works only twice a week. He specializes in UPPER CERVICAL SPECIFIC CHIROPRACTIC. This is basically centered around the atlas or the bone that rests on top of the spine and on which the skull rests. It is the only bone in the spine that can move sideways and if it gets out of alignment, it can place pressure on the spinal cord and block sensory and motor nerves. In addition it also causes the body to "grow" crooked causing an array of other symptoms: sinus pressure, eye problems, upset stomach, etc. Think about it, if the first bone in your spine is off, it will effect your entire body. Your brain is your central computer so to speak and if it can't send and receive proper signals, it cannot function properly. Your atlas can only be seen with very specific x-rays that otherwise are never done and so often goes unnoticed. The only way your atlas can be put back into place is with a specific machine which uses a spring and air pressure (as much as 100 psi !) to push the bone back into place. Regular chiropractic "popping" won't do it and can do worse damage. Most chiropractors don't do this because once the bone is realigned, the muscles are retrained and the nerves have repaired themselves (3 months at most)I no longer even need to be seen! No tune ups every three months, no nothing unless I somehow bang it out again. And so no one will be making much money on me at all. Sadly many other chiropractors this guy has shared this approach with say he does see patients enough nor make enough money for them to even consider treating people this way.

The majority of my pain was in my back not my neck and at first I was a little suspicious. But I'll tell you what, when he popped my atlas back in, the pain was almost completely gone in 30 minutes! Because the nerves take up to 80 days to repair themselves, and due to the fact that my I spent most of my life growing crooked, the pain came back quickly and at the moment is a little worse than before. But I feel right in my "bones". The muscles of my entire body have to be retrained to my new "sraightness" and since my nerves were blocked for so long, many things hurt now that never hurt before. Sort of a delayed response thing. The channels are now clear so stuff from years ago is finally getting through. I'll say it again in many ways I now feel worse but it is only because I am truly getting better. In a few months I should be completely better and unless I knock my atlas out (I fell out of a tree when I was four years old), there is no need after a few months to keep seeing any doctors period. This can vary from person to person and your recovery depends on you age and the length of time its been out of place but at the least its better than nothing. This gentleman told me stories of 80+ year old people not being able to move an arm or barely able to walk, go out of his office flapping there arms and walking in a full stride. It sounds silly but I sat on my bed for days and just turned my head from side to side. I can not recall ever being able to move this freely. The whole premise of this type of procedure is to remove the obstructions in the body to allow the body to heal itself. No fancy surgeries or mental hocus pocus, just plain old common sense: a straight spine. As I said regular chiropratic cannot correct this and may at best give temporary relief. Even surgery would not help. "Normal" is feeling no pain. "Normal" means no tingling or numbness. And soon, I will finally be normal again. Please consider this. Find someone who does this type of thing. If I had to travel across the country to have this done, it would be worth it and I have no money at all. Here is a website with more info. www.erinelster.com/upper_cervical_care.html PLEASE consider this. You may have other problems but its worth a shot. Share this with others it has changed me from crippled to hopefull. And soon I will be well...

Awesome! Thank you for sharing. I read this forum off and on and usually leave it feeling such desperation for the hurting people that post here and do not get better nor do they know where to turn but tonight I will sign off (Lord willing) feeling elated for you and hoping others listen to you. God bless kw

(sorry about the above...) just wanted to post that I also have constant tingling that has persisted for an entire year. Also had the same tests as you -- all negative. Also had (very painful)EMG, also negative. Saw a neurologist many times but no answers. Neurologist thought my symptoms would just go away, but they haven't. I feel fortunate that the tingling (Parasthesia)(or what it really feels like is that my nerves are all at the very edges of my skin--almost feels like burning or like scalding water is running through me)...hasn't interfered with how I live my life. I don't have any answers for you but I know I felt better reading this forum and realizing I was not the only person with such strange symptoms. I know for me what is hardest is the concern about what this may be doing to my body over the long haul, but since I can't get an answer on the cause, it does me no good to worry. My personal feeling is that it's some weird virus that has attacked the spine and I do believe it will one day go away. I'm trying to change my diet to eat healthier and cut out as much caffeine as I can stand to, and to exercise more, but don't really know if that will help.

Good luck, and if you do get any answers, please remember to share them with the rest of us.

Hi everyone. This is the most active chat spot. I have tried the Upper Cervical chiropractic, too. yes, it helped with sleep, hip pain, and all kinds of things. But I didn't hold - had to keep going back. I felt it was very safe. The twisting and jerking has made me worse - even in experienced hands.

I have been at the NLM/ Gateway site reading for years tryying to figure out all of my problems - tingling and every other kind of sensation, bowel /bladder issues, hearing, visual, etc etc. I learned about some conditions called
myelomalacia and adult tethered spinal cord. I have one abstract ( Geelen JA , a Dutch journal called Ned Tijdschr
Genneeskd) that reports on 4 patients whose most prominent complaint was tingling in the hands. The diagnosis : myelomalacia, little bubbles ( sometimes less than 1 mm) in the spinal cord. What causes this? often a tethered spinal cord. I have been finally diagnosed with this.

A TC can be acquired from a injury to the spinal column, or from spinal injections or infections. Also , people can can be born with it and not know it until some injury ( or specific posture or growth spurt) causes traction on the spinal cord.
The TC can be part of the inheritance of spina bifida occulta.
According to the Spina Bifida Association of America, SBO is
inherited by 10 to 20% of the population ! it has been assumed to be benign, and incidental - but NOT for me. And what a struggle I had getting diagnosed. Is tethered cord the source of many odd, unexplained neurological problems ? I have had migraines, asthma, bladder/bowel dysfunction, tingling and many weird sensations in the legs, fascial tingling, 'jerking' tongue, painful ears, sensitive teeth, burning feet, etc. etc. etc. I have scoliosis and deformed feet. I have craniofascial distortion, with jaw misalignment and a deviated septum. I have evidence from the literature that links all of this to the inheritance of SBO and tethered cord. Maybe it is quite common ??

And I thank you. I don't know if what was done to me can help everyone but the change I feel in EVERY part of my body, from headaches to breathing to eye sight to hearing to pain to movement....EVERYTHING. God is good to me! And I know as well how hard it is to hear of others who are suffering so terribly. But Jesus loves me this I know... He loves others as well. I just wish more people would submit to Him and be saved. God is sovereign and He does have a plan. And even though He is NOT the author of sin or pain or any such horrible things, He can use all these and more to touch the hearts of those who seek Him. "Not all things are of God, but all things can be used by Him for good."

Right before I was placed on the road to recovery, I finally got to the point where I had accepted that I may be crippled for the rest of my life. I did not even pray for healing anymore. I simply prayed that God would use me to accomplish His will in whatever way He saw fit. If that were to show the world the joy of knowing Him even in the face of great pain, than so be it. My will and dreams do not matter, I just want to serve Him and be faithful to His Word and His Commandments and to His son, Jesus Christ my Lord. I hope that others will seek out the procedure that helped me as it really can help so many various ailments. But most importantly, I pray they will seek Him, as only He has the power to save their souls.

P.S. A comforting thought: Adults and those who can understand their sinful state must repent and accept Christ as their Lord and Saviour, but when a child dies, for them it is instant Heaven!

I do feel that I am definetely fortunate to not need much of any adjustments so far but I have also been doing Pilates excercises and lots of stretching. Both have helped immensely. Its kind of a trendy thing these days but Joseph Pilates (the founder) developed it for himself and others with many physical ailments. It was also the ONLY thing my body tolerated when I was really hurting. God designed our bodies for movement and most of us don't get enough excercise. Combine that with injuries and other problems and... Also, since I spent 20 plus years with a curved spine, things will take time to heal. Be patient and don't lose heart. Your mental health does effect your physical health and I know from experience that if I get depressed or feel hopeless, the pain and everything else gets worse. And thats not just in my head but it really is worse. Or minds control our bodies so if thats not functioning properly than how can I expect anything else to work right? Being a Bible believing born again Christian I look forward to spending an eternity with God in Heaven where there will be no more crying or pain or anything else that causes even the smallest amount of discomfort. This world is cursed and is NOT they way God intended us to live. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." So, sin has tainted and twisted our lives into something that God did not intend. He loves us enough to give us a choice and not be robots who have no will. And sadly, we have not chosen well. I view this life as a "try-out", a trial in which God sees who is real friends and children are...

Anyway, correct posture (central to Pilates) seems to be a crucial part of physical health. After feeling what it really is like to have a straight spine, I realise how often I was moving incorrectly in just about everything I do. Driving, sitting, sleeping, walking; everything, not just standing. Bad posture seemed to promote injuries in me and could have led to worse things. The muscles in my body due tend to try to pull everything back to where they were (not good), and so it takes constant thought and effort to "straighten up"! It will probably take awhile to build up the muscle memory to stay straight but mentally I now have the motivation to put forth the effort. In addition, I've noticed the longer I spend sitting or laying down with incorrect posture, the worse I feel. Even gravity could play a role in that as quite a lot of force is constantly exerted on a body that is not distributing its weight properly due to it not being positioned properly. Over time this can lead to all sorts of problems. A good bed is important as well. Spending even a few hours in a wrong position can have bad side effects.

I have no doubt that even one small problem in any are of the body can effect the entire body. Will a boat float with even a small hole? Maybe for awhile but not for long. And I know many think that talk of God is stupid or even inapropriate, but He is real and understanding what he intended us humans to do (work!) has helped me to realise that even though I love computers and reading books, I still need to stay active. He designed our bodies for movement and to consume REAL food. If financially possible, try to stay away from processed foods. All those chemicals are not good for us. A balanced diet is important but what kind of foods and how much I eat (within reason) don't seem to matter so long as its "real". Like eating homemade pizza versus the frozen kind. People are out to make a profit and often substitue "real" ingredients for synthetic kinds that are cheaper or last longer. I don't have much money so I do the best I can, but I'm convinced EVERY little bit helps. If I where to put fuel mixed with any chemical or foreign substance into my car, it would not run very well or for long. And the human body is much more complex than a car; there's a reason why doctors "practice" medicine! Who can say what effect even a small thing can have over the years?

Don't get me wrong, doctors are very VALUABLE and necessary, but all the specialists I've seen, seem to be so consumed by the power of their own intellect that they failed to see the obvious. They missed the forest for the trees! The guidance and care of a physicion is crucial, however, as they do know and have a lot to offer as long as they don't see dollar signs in their eyes, and if they treat the CAUSE and NOT the symptoms. Without my family doctor I would not have made it this far and do not mean to advise people to stop seeing them altogether. Just to try and provide hope and a new way of thinking in which you look to correct the cause of a problem instead of having surgery or popping a pill or just "living with it".

I still do and will have difficulties, and being 25 years old is definetly to my advantage as over time our bodies do decay and fall apart. But being in the kind of pain I was and others like you are in, and having other ailments, should hopefully but just a step along the way, and not simply the "way it is". If your problems have been going on for awhile they may never go away completely but won't any improvement be worth it? I will pray for you ma'am. Don't give up and be patient. Try these things and see if over time they help. AS I said, even if they don't "cure" you of everything, they will still improve the quality of your life in any case. If you or anyone would like to talk more, feel free to keep posting messages I may not always be able to reply as quickly as today, but the Lord willing, I will write back when I can.

I give praises for your better health and no this forum is not set up to be a religious forum but for christians all of life is about God. I commend you for being true to Him and you know what He says........ About all who are ashamed of Him. All good things come from heaven above. That is a fact and yes, even illness can work out for the good. God has used mine to open my blind eyes and I know there is much more to see. I, like you, pray for others because unless God allows, it doesn't happen. I believe that God still heals today as He did before and I have to share that. What good am I if God makes me better and teaches me a better way to live if I don't share it? It's like I buried that treasure. God bless.

I am not a religious person, and this is NOT a religious forum.( I am very spiritual, however.) Christianity is only one interpretation of what is going on here on Earth. The wonderful medical advances here in the U.S. have resulted from understanding and applying scientific principles and the scientific method, not by faith and "belief systems."
I am interested in understanding and solving these complex neurological issues by using current technology, and with the help of the best medical minds - including the 'alternative' medical approaches. I have had interesting results with many alternative treatments, and have had an interesting experience with QiGong. But the fact remains that I was born with a tethered spinal cord, I had an injury, and my nervous system is not working correctly. I am ready to try anything that makes "sense,' and I appreciate what you told me about the movement therapies.

I am in my mid 50's, menopausal, have had my thyroid removed, it contained malignant tissue, am taking .125 mmg levoxol, am tired a lot and my upper lip is numb. No dental work in recent past, do have some allergies, and have good mental and physical health.
Would a sinus problem cause my upper lip to be numb? (Teeth are all mine and attended to regularly)
Thanks........

I'm not on any medications at all. As to how I cope with it?-- I try to ignore it. I know it sounds dumb--but I know that when I'm busy and my mind is preoccupied and I'm not dwelling on my weird body sensations, I guess I'm so used to it that I AM able to ignore it. When I think about it and focus on it, it seems to get worse--which I think is partly fear and worry causing stress and multiplied symptoms.

The above posts have given me more to check into, so thank you to all who have posted.

I had tingling down along my cheek and across my upper lip on and off for 2 or 3 years after the injury. Yes, when my neck improved, and some manipulation put the neck "in" - the tingling went away. (But chiropractic neck manipulation is scary - took a long time to find someone I trusted).
I had a great deal on tingling in the legs and rearend. I took Neurontin for that. It eventually quieted. Also, moving gently in a warm therapy ( 90 -94 degrees) really helped - but it took a full year, 3 times a week.

You don't say how long you've had the upper lip numbness nor if it is constant or off and on. I have had numb type feelings in my left cheek area and mine was worse at times and then better. I like the other poster was able to ignore it. When I concentrated on it it seemed to be constant and worse. By having my neck adjusted and I don't mean popped but the top vertebrae slides to the right and it has to be realigned, i have felt that numbness ease. Massage has helped also. I'm guessing you have full use of your lip so it is just a sensation thing. I always suspect nerve entrapment. I am sorry to hear about your thyroid. Muscle manipulation and spinal work has always helped my numbness and sometimes not right away. Also i have to concentrate on my posture. My best to you

I just happened to notice your post and felt i should reply. As i always encourage for numbness and tingling no matter how long you have had it i will relay to you also. I have had this same thing and have found relief with spinal and muscle manipulation from a good chiropracter, a total overhaul of my diet from sad (standard american diet) to organic and gluten free, infrared sauna every day and chelation. It is worth all the effort to feel better. There is a book called You Are What You ATe and that is sooo true. I have also had pain in my left chest area and have feared heart. I still can have all the s/s try to come over me and as others have stated i do my best to ignore it and I pray for God to help me. He does too.

At this time I have a faint numbness/tingling in all of my left side - head to toe. I also feel pain and slight muscle cramp in my feet, heels, ankles, triceps but muscle strengh seems to be ok.
About 18 years ago, I was diagonized to have migraines. I have lived with constant headaches since then and have been taking headache painkillers. GP told me - constant use of painkillers may affect kidneys. I have had my kidneys checked occassionaly - they are ok.
About 4 years ago, I felt a sharp pain in my chest that made me run to ER. They did ECG but nothing was found. Thereafter I went through a series of heart test - all came out ok.
Migraines persisted all along.
I felt similar chest pains a few times in last 4 years. But I ignored them.
About 4 weeks I started to have chest pains again every night...4 consecutive nights. And then 5th day I felt a sudden shooting pain in my jaw. My vision got worse. Since then my left eye constantly feels like someone is pulling on it. In last 4 weeks, I also started to feel warm, tingling sensation in parts of my left side which seems to have grown into persistent tingling in all of my left side.
I have seen my GP and a cardiologist and have had various blood tests and MRI (with and without contrast). Cardiologist thinks the heart is normal. I will go for stres-echo test in couple of weeks. GP thinks I don't have any stroke signs. MRI shows no signs of MS. Everything is normal except a 4mm pineal cyst in my brain. GP thinks the cyst is inconsequential and found incidentally and is not that rare. And all the reviews I have seen on the web suggest that pineal cysts are benign. MRI report says the cyst is harmless at this time.
I will see a neurologist tomorrow. I am not hoping much feedback from the neurologist and my guess is I may have to nail it down myself.

This is the greatest chat going on this forum! Briefly, I am 42, and my symptoms started 14 years ago during (I believe) the delivery of my 2nd son. I had a crick sound in my neck right after delivery and 5 months later something went out in my neck and all my problems started. First numbness and tingling sensations that would start with what I describe as a radiating from my neck on down. Dr. suspected MS so a spinal tap was done. Of course I got the spinal headache! A ringing in my ears was also present after the neck went out. I know things aren't where they are supposed to be, but I have been to several chiropractors with limited success. I also traveled to California to have a procedure done that sends an instrument quickly to force alignment at the upper neck level. Huge mistake for me, the ringing was unbearable. I can't do that again. Today, the numbness and tingling infrequently reoccur. The ringing is taking my hearing though and things do not FEEL in alignment in my system. I can pop my neck by turning it every time. My lower back frequently goes out and I generally feel an ongoing pain on my right side. I have a know in my left shoulder blade. Someone on this site earlier suggested that his could be from nerve damage not able to supply the muscle. Any thoughts or suggestions, are welcome.

Thanks kwag for your support. Sadly, I am often ashamed of myself but never of God. You also hit the mark when you mentioned treasure. Like the man who found a treasure hidden in a field and sold all that he owned to buy it...

And Nancy 1019, I fully understand that this is a medical forum, however, as I mentioned God has led me down a long path filled with much pain, sorrow, and anguish. Through this one of the things I learned is that the state of our minds does have an effect on our bodies. And while the pain I felt was great (required oxycontin to get out of bed), the two most difficult things I had to endure was that no doctor could give me any answers as to why at 25 years of age I was suddenly crippled without injury, and also that I felt alone, hopeless, and worthless. Those are all things that only God could handle. To not give up and keep seeing new doctors (even though all the previous ones had been a waste of money that I did not have) was the only way I finally found someone who could help me. Also as I mentioned, through my study of God's Word and prayer, He has led me to see what He really intended us to use our bodies for; work! The more time we spend inactive without the benefit of weight bearing excercises (as simple as walking around), the greater risk of physical decline and the more susceptable to injuries and disease our bodies are. Diet, excercise, and a good supportive (not firm) bed, all can contribute to over-all health. Injuries are injuries but most people who post here have no clue why they are suffering let alone what to do about it. Even without injuries or diseases, we all decay, fall apart and die eventually. What can medical science do for those people? Perhaps there is more to life than health, wealth and prosperity.

I am not the sharpest tool in the shed as they say, so all of these insights have come from God, not me. My personal intent in all this is to help all of you who are suffering with no "ray of sunshine" to sustain you. If that be emotional support so people here can continue to persue medical treatment than that is what I will do. My goal is to go to Seminary under the study of John MacArthur (a Godly man whom I trust) so I realise that I may get carried away ;) And its not that I am ashamed, but I understand there is a time and place for everything. But my belief in God is what everything in my life that is good is founded on. That includes medical issues as well as everything else. Understanding our Creator is the only way to truly understand ourselves, the created. Our advances in technology are remarkable but they are means and not the end. And doctors who are very valuable, are still just imperfect people. If technology and the best medical minds in the world were enough, then why are so many people posting questions with no answers? Specialists at Stanford, STANFORD, one of the premier medical schools and facility in the country could give me no answers or even any steps to help me stay together. Many other "specialists" I saw over a nine month period told me to stop seeing doctors and to stop any and all treatments because it was just the way I was and NOTHING could help me. Learn to live with it they said! Their pride and reliance on technology clouded there minds and if not for my personal physician (a humble, honest Christian) I probably would have done just that; given up for good. Instead he held me together and encouraged me long enough for God to lead me to someone who could help my problem.

Most of what I read here is people very frustrated with no answers. I simply try to do to others as my doctor did for me. So I give them Upper Cervical Specefic Chiropractic, healthy lifestyle changes, and Jesus. I truly do ache inside for you Nancy 1019. I found a solution to my problem and I only really want to help you to do the same. I hope you can see that I would not have written anything to anyone if I did not care. My "belief system" and faith in God IS my medical technology. And I give it to any who will listen. I will sincerely pray that God lead you to the proper doctors and a healthy lifestyle, that you may be well...

One thing that came to mind as i read these posts is that as the spine starts to go out of alignment, a shifting will occur below to the opposite side so that a z formation occurs. My atlas is out to the right and i as well have suffered with the numbness and tingling, high pitched sounds in my ears and ringing and sometimes a heart beat. All this tried to drive me crazy and the only thing that has kept me sane is my faith. Not to sound like a religious nut but it is true. There is no doctor, institution, drug, procedure,or anything else that is for sure. I had to have something concrete to help calm my anxiety. The only thing I found was the Bible. With my faith secured, i was able to get rid of the anxiety and with it went the symptoms that come with anxiety. I verbally said "get behind me!!! " to the anxiety and concentrated on what I could do to get better. That turned into diet, exercise, prayer, Bible reading, this forum, encouraging others, praising God when I feel better (which is a lot now), stretching, supplements, and more. I am also gluten free which is very important when you look at the statistics of how many people can not tolerate wheat(gluten) and the symptoms that is causes. It causes me to have a chemical reaction over my nerves and muscles. I walked 3 miles today, felt only minimal brief episodes of faint tingling that disappeared with position changes, did lots of housework, enjoyed my family, thanked God for it all. I wish the same for you ALL.

Did the Chiropractor you saw use an adjusting table? The one I am seeing uses a SAM device. It utilizes a spring and air compression to push a finger-like protrusion. This "finger" only touches the atlas and therefore only moves it. An adjusting table moves your whole neck and can tweak things.

The ringing you experienced may have been due to the nervous system pathways being opened and should not last forever. Motor and sensory nerve impulses that are blocked are not lost, they are simply delayed. When your atlas is aligned properly, the pressure on your spinal cord is releived and those channels are open for impulses to pass through.

Right now my whole body is still trying to "straighten up". I had this problem for 20+ years so I can't expect it to go away immediately. This type of chiropractic also takes longer than others but should eventually have better lasting results. I too could pop my neck by turning it, and felt like I was wearing a shirt that was buttoned wrong; like I was a hole or two off... I too heard ringing and had a headache for awhile. Nothing showed in numerous tests, x-rays, MRI, etc. and the realignment of my atlas through upper specific chiropractic is the only thing that has helped. My shoulders continue to feel out of place, however, as my body has been crooked for so long, it takes time for the muscles, tendons, and ligaments to find and hold everything in their proper places. My atlas was too far to the left putting pressure on the right side of my spinal cord, affecting mostly but not only the left side of my body as the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body. Now thats a mouthfull...

Numbness and tingling means there is something going on with your nerves. If there are no injuries or other obvious problems, then your atlas being out is just about all thats left. Also, as your head tries to level itself out, if your atlas is out, it can place even more pressure on the spinal cord and cause muscle spasms, cramps, etc., as your whole body will try to compensate for adjustments you naturally make to keep your head level. When I was first realigned, I thought the world was tilted slightly for about a week.

You may have felt more pain after your atlas was put back into place, but did you "feel alignment in your system" as you put it? The pain will slowly go away but it takes time. Not only for your body to adjust, but for the motor nerve impulses to relay information to your brain from pain in body parts that may have accured years ago! I hurt in places where there was no problem anymore, simply because those messages had been blocked for so long. Remember, as far as I know there are no one time, one cure fits all.

Flax seed oil (Omega 3 fatty acids, good for the joints and heart) and Glucosamine with Chondroitin (also for joints) are natural supplements that have also helped me immensely. Being natural with no chemical accelerators and such means they take longer to take effect. For awhile the only thing I noticed was increased bowel activity but after a month or two of taking the Flax seed oil, I didn't take any for one day and I'll tell you what, the difference was huge. Now I take both and will continue to do so for as long as I can, even if all symptoms vanish. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...

Also, a good supportive, not firm bed can help to maintain proper alignment. The memory foam or air kinds seem to be the best as far as I have been able to tell. All the reports I've read say that the firm or stiff ones can be very bad for you.
Diet (real not processed foods in proper amounts), excercise (low impact like Pilates and walking), good sleep with proper alignment (on your side in a semi-fetal position with a spacer or pillow between your knees), and mental stablility (Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life) will all combine to help you attain and maintain a healthy life barring outside circumstances: ie. injuries, diseases, will of God, etc. They may not cure everything, but they will certainly help. I know its hard when you are hurting and you need to be careful, but try to stay active as well. Our bodies were made to move, not lie around. Do the best you can and hang in there. I will pray that you find relief and can move on with your life.

Dear Multi-symptomal : My experience with a problematic
atlas agrees with what kwag and sidm say. When the atlas goes "out" many symptoms flare -including pain, sleep disorder, depression, etc But why is the atlas always going out ? The dura mater , which is the lining of the entire central nervous system, is tough and fibrous , with very little 'give.' It is anchored inside the sacral canal , normally at S-2.
It is not anchored again until C-3 ( some dispute), C-2, the atlas, the foramen magnum ( hole in the occiput bone in the skull), and then in the brain. So, when the pelvis and sacrum shift ( like during pregnancy/childbirth, fall on butt) the tension of the dura is affected - all the way up to the neck and brain. Do this experiment : Put on a long sleeve cotton shirt that is not stretchy. Pull the cuff downwards to make a tight sleeve. Now, twist or move the cuff slighty. You will see distortions of the cloth all the way up to your shoulder.
The tighter the sleeve is, the more effect you will see transmitted up to the shoulder. My doc says that same thing can happen in the dural tube. Please read about the NUCCA chiropractors. Also, do a search and go to Erik Dalton's website to read about the dura mater. Fascinating stuff - makes so much sense and is consistent with all I;ve experienced.

Thank you for my new cyber mates who shared my pain. I very much appreciate your time, thoughts, hopes and prayers that answers and relief would come my way. I do Winsor pilates and love them. I have not done them since right before Christmas. They do seem to throw my back out. So I allow my back to recover and then I get back to them. I'm recovering now. To answer one of the questions, yes I believe the instrument used on me in California was to realign the atlas. That term was very familiar. It had some sort of pin that required high pressure to shoot it out. I don't recall if I felt in alignment or not. I only remember the ringing was unbearable. It is constant and has been for over 14 years. But when it gets louder, I admit I reflect on if life has continued value for me.

I am overwhelmed by the thought and time of your posts. I will copy them, and apply the parts I am not already, to see, if peace of mind can't be obtained. At the very least they will each bouy up my spirits and resolve.

I hope and pray for the same for each one of you. I am the mother of five children and so their needs, get me up and going each day. Along with church responsibilites and of course a job. I know that one day I will know with certainty what happened to me, it just may not be in this life-time. I admit I've almost given up on the medical profession, to help me.

Thank you, thank you, thank you again for your posts. I'll watch for you around this forum. I pop in at least once a month to see what's going on. I hope to chat again with you soon.

I as well can not take much work on my neck. My chiropractor has to be gentle and we take our time getting me back where i belong or at least as close as we can. I have 3 children and my youngest has down syndrome and autism. He is 8 years old now. I have held him for many years and I strongly believe that this action has greatly encouraged my spine to shift. I do not do that now. I have been having a heart beat sound in my ear lately but I have had the high pitched sounds as well. How tiring to go through that daily. Don't give up. Work on your posture every single second that you're awake. Sit up straight and square those shoulders. You've carried lots of bundles of joy and that causes wear and tear more than you can ever imagine. Also, any extra weight will hurt you. If you are chesty then that pulls on your posture. You'll have to overcome that as well. You can do this. Do all you can to get you muscles and spine in alignment. What kind of mattress do you sleep on? It does need to be on the solid and firmer side. Some type of yoga type stretches might help lengthen your muscles. Pilates is very hard on your spine. I've done them and they aggravate my already aggravated body. I just do stretches. One last idea, stressful life situations that we go through can leave us with chronic problems. You can not separate the mind, body, soul. What the mind and emotions go through, the body does as well. Like if you get scared or upset and you have to use the bathroom quick. Whatever life experiences that you have gone through have caused your body to react. If you hold on to unforgiveness to anybody, your body will react. When you can, ask God about anything you may have buried and see what comes to mind. If you have buried things deep, they may not come up easy but God is faithful, He will show you. Then take care of it all. Somethings we can fix and many we can not. But God is merciful. Someone has already paid the price of all that we can not pay. These are just my thoughts and I pray they help. I do know that I have worried so much for years and I had to quit that. Jesus says "why do you worry? You can't add one inch to your height" (or anything else ) by worrying. He said "DON'T WORRY". But I worried and it hurt my spirit and body. A crushed spirit, who can bear? I could not. There is a reason Jesus said don't worry and all the other wonderful things He said. He was there at the creation and He knows all. He came to save. I pray that at our darkest moments, we can hear Him talk to us as He says, "My peace I give to you" and that we can receive it truly in our hearts. I can picture Jesus touching you and saying"I am willing. Be healed" May it be as He has said. karmen

When people have tethered spinal cords ( that is - ones that are too tight and don't have the normal give), any kind of overstretching of the spinal column sets off symptoms. I
can't stretch upward or downward - can't bend to floor.

Has anyone been reading about tethered cord ? What do you think ? I lead a support group ( fibromyalgia) and all the members say that they don't want to have a diagnosis like that. ( tethered cord) Period, end of discussion. But, the fact remains that many of the strange neurological stuff being talked about here can be part of the tethered cord syndrome.
It is truly a Pandora's Box.

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